The Dark Hand
by demonman21
Summary: This is the sequel to "Triangle of Hades". With evil devastated by the sisters, the remaining leaders go to an outside demon to kill the Charmed Ones.
1. Part 1

The Dark Hand Part 1  
  
(This is a continuation of the alternate universe I created in Degrees of Evil and that is featured in Information Exchange and Triangle of Hades. I do not own any part of Charmed, I just write about it. And as always, please comment and tell me what you think.)  
  
"Are you sure about this?" A figure in darkness asked. He and 8 others were gathered around a circular table, deep within the Underworld. Many had never been this deep into the Underworld, for they were all rather weak. However, with almost every demon and warlock of any strength dead, they found themselves the strongest.  
  
"We have no choice," A figure at the other end of the table said, "We have to be honest gentlemen and ladies. Our darkest and most powerful have already fallen to them. No being of evil has even come close to their destruction, and evil cannot rebuild as long as they live. We must do whatever is necessary to ensure their removal from the board. Only then can we recover."  
  
"But what about the cost?" A female voice asked shrilly.  
  
"These people have already done as much damage as the cost," the figure continued, "And this is a small price to pay for the success. Remember, they have never failed. We can count on them to succeed. Are there any other objections?" When no one spoke, the lead figure said, "Then let us proceed."  
  
All nine figures began to chant in deep, dark monotone voices. The chanting went on for some time, until finally it began to rise and reach a peak. At that moment, a tear opened in space, and a being stepped out. It was a male, approximately 6 ft tall, with dark brown eyes and red hair. As the chanting died down, he asked, "You have summoned me? Where is the Source?"  
  
"Killed, as has most of the upper level," the lead figure said.  
  
The man's face took on a slightly surprised look, and he said, "Interesting. Do you have the price?"  
  
The lead figure nodded, and pointed to a large chest. The man walked over and opened it. Inside were close to 40 souls. He nodded, and said, "Very well. Do you have the information I require?"  
  
The lead figure slid a ledger towards the man. He stopped it with his hand, and a black glow encompassed the ledger for a few moments. The man lifted his hand, and said, "Very well. I accept this job."  
  
All nine figures seemed relieved and the lead one asked, "What is your name, and when will you begin?"  
  
The man simply looked at the figure for a second, and then said, "You may call me Rahab, and I will begin when I am ready. But rest assured gentlemen and ladies, the Charmed Ones' days are numbered."  
  
***  
  
As Paige walked into the kitchen, she could smell something baking. "Hey, what's going on?" she asked.  
  
Piper looked up from where she was cooking, and said, "I'm feeling really happy today, so I figured I'd make some cookies to celebrate."  
  
"What are we celebrating?" Phoebe asked as she walked in the back door.  
  
"Hey, have a great night?" Paige asked slyly. "Where were you?"  
  
Phoebe looked at Paige in annoyance, and then sighed, "I was at Cole's."  
  
Piper looked up and smiled, "Really, weren't you the one who said you didn't know how you really felt about him, and that you wanted to wait?"  
  
"Alright, so sue me," Phoebe said. "I felt like I was being pushed into it, and when I looked around, I finally realized that Cole really is good."  
  
"What do you mean pushed into it?" Piper asked.  
  
"Well, for one thing, I can feel how happy my son is that we're back together," Phoebe said, "he is so happy right now that I can't feel anything else. It is really weird, and at the same time fantastic."  
  
Leo orbed in, and said, "We may have a problem."  
  
Piper said, "What is it? Everything seems to be going great to me."  
  
"Well, several faction leaders have dropped out of sight. It has the Elder's worried," Leo continued, "They're afraid evil may be trying to reorganize itself."  
  
"How?" Paige asked. "After all, we not only killed the Source and pretty much every upper level demon, but we destroyed the Grimoire. How can they make a new Source?"  
  
"You really should be careful," Leo cautioned. "You don't know the faction leaders are doing, or when they'll strike."  
  
"Whatever they're capable of, we can handle it," Piper said confidently. "After all, the pool of people darkness can use is much shallower. They can't take us. What are they going to do, hire a hitman?"  
  
Phoebe looked slightly uncomfortable for a second, and then said, "Well, I have noticed something."  
  
"Really, what's wrong?" Paige asked.  
  
"Well, for the last few days, I've been getting the feeling that I'm being watched. I can't explain it, and neither Cole nor I can detect anything, but it worries me. Have either of you noticed anything?" Phoebe remarked.  
  
"Well, now that you mention it, I've been feeling the same way sometimes," Piper confessed, and Paige nodded as well. Piper then turned to Leo and asked, "What do you think? Could it be the faction leaders?"  
  
Leo said, "I'm not sure.I don't detect anything either, but you may want to check the Book of Shadows. You've dealt with demons that can camouflage themselves or become invisible."  
  
"Good idea," Phoebe said, "I'm ahead on my articles, and I believe both of you mentioned that you have nothing else planned yet?" When Piper and Paige both nodded, Phoebe continued, "Then let's take a look."  
  
"Why don't I go get Michael and Cole? Maybe they can help with their knowledge?" Paige said. Phoebe and Piper hesitated, and then nodded. Paige orbed out, and then Piper asked Phoebe, "Do you think they'll be able to help?"  
  
Phoebe hesitated for a second, and then said, "Probably not, but it won't hurt to have more magic users around. Come on, they can meet us upstairs. Leo, if you'll come with us?" Leo nodded, and all three went upstairs.  
  
Phoebe was the first to get into the attic, and she approached the Book. "You know, maybe we should try making an index for the Book, to speed." she began, but when she touched the Book, a premonition hit her. She saw herself, her sisters, Leo, Cole, and Michael all standing around the Book. Suddenly, a man appeared. He held up a hand with a sigil on the forearm and threw some kind of projectile at them.  
  
When she returned, she said, "I may have just caught sight of our stalker. He's going to get here soon. Let's get to work." Phoebe bent over the Book, and Piper and Leo went over to her. As they began to flip through the Book, Paige Michael and Cole orbed in. Phoebe looked up, and mentioned, "Good timing. I just got a premonition, about a demon that is going to attack us. We're trying to ID him."  
  
"What did he look like?" Cole and Michael asked. Without warning, several warlocks blinked into the room. The lead two tackled Cole and Michael, and the other three threw athames at the sisters. Piper gestured, and the athames froze in midair. Paige shouted, "Blow them up!" Piper gestured again, and one of the warlocks exploded. Paige held up her hand, and shot a lightning bolt at another, killing him instantly.  
  
Meanwhile, Phoebe had run forward towards the third one. She levitated up and slammed her foot into the warlock's head. As he fell back, she landed and looked back. Unknown to Piper, another warlock had appeared behind Piper. Phoebe shouted, "Piper, watch out!" As Piper turned, the warlock slammed his athame into her chest. She fell back, and was still. Then, a glow encompassed the wound, and she was healed. She looked up at the warlock, who was staring at her in shock, and said, "Nice try." She held up her hand again, and an orange light came out of it. Without warning, the warlock slipped and fell. Piper shouted angrily, "That's not what I wanted to do! That keeps happening. What the hell is that?"  
  
Cole and Michael both managed to get the warlocks off of them. Michael shouted, "Tempus Fugroso Tri" and the floorboards reached up and grabbed the warlock that had tackled him. Michael then picked up the warlock's athame, and stabbed him. The warlock on Cole created and fired and energy ball, but Cole deflected it. Unfortunately, it went off angle and almost hit Paige. She orbed out just in time, then yelled at Cole, "Watch it!" She then looked around, spotted an athame, and acted. She shouted "Athame!" and as it began to come towards her, she gestured towards the warlock who had shot the energy ball. It hit him in the gut, and he dissolved. The remaining warlocks fled.  
  
As everyone got back up, Piper said angrily, "You could have been more specific about the number Phoebs. You were off by about.6 warlocks! And Leo, what the Hell is with my powers?"  
  
Phoebe shook her head, and said, "They weren't in my premonition. It was only one demon, and he was much different."  
  
While Leo said, "Honey, I only just found out. Remember when the Guardian of Destiny boosted your powers?" When Piper nodded, he said, "Well, he gave you the ability to manipulate probabilities. You can make the improbable happen by focusing on it and pointing."  
  
Piper looked around, and said, "Well, that's just great. And what the Hell was this?"  
  
"I don't know, but I if I had to guess," Michael said, "I'd say it was a warm-up."  
  
***  
  
All nine leaders turned as Rahab appeared. They each said, "We provided you with what you asked, and almost all of them died. You killed some of the best warlocks remaining."  
  
Rahab smiled slightly, and said, "That's not saying much. Relax," he continued as the leaders bristled. "Their deaths were not in vain. I've gotten the information I require. When I take on the Charmed Ones, they will be out of their league."  
  
***  
  
Phoebe finally closed the Book and said, "He's not in here. Whoever he is, there is no information on him. Which is not a good thing."  
  
"Well, describe him," Michael said, "Maybe I've heard of him, or seen something in the Library that could be helpful."  
  
"Well, he was about 5'9, had red hair, and brown eyes. His right hand seemed to glow, and their was a weird sigil inscribed on his forearm."  
  
"Really, can you describe it?"  
  
"Well, it was hard to see, but I think it was in the shape of a fist." Phoebe began. Both Michael and Cole went pale, and Michael said in a whisper, "Are you sure?" When Phoebe nodded, he turned to Cole and murmured, "Does that sigil mean what I think it means?"  
  
Cole nodded slowly, and Michael's eyes fell. He turned to the Charmed Ones and said, "We're in deep trouble."  
  
"Why, what does that sigil mean?" Piper asked.  
  
"It's an ancient insignia, and one that hasn't been seen in the Underworld for close to 3 thousand years," Cole said.  
  
"And even longer above ground," Michael added. "It is the insignia for the Dark Hand. The only information the Library has on them is that they are very powerful and incredibly dangerous."  
  
"They have been around since the first Source," Cole said. "They live outside this plane, and are contract killers. They only work for evil, and they have never failed. Evil rarely uses them because they charge a very steep price, one almost no one is willing to pay."  
  
"What price is that?" Paige asked.  
  
"A dozen souls a target," Cole said softly. "And not just souls. They have to be evil, which is why they've only been used maybe 7 times in the entire history of evil. When the Source shared my body, I discovered in his memory that he had used them once, and they scared him."  
  
"Well, that's just great.any idea when he'll be here?" Piper asked. Without warning, all of them could hear clapping. They turned around in time to see a man appear. He bowed, and said, "Very impressive Cole Turner. Few people could say they knew so much about us. My name is Rahab, and I felt I should introduce myself, since you are some of the strongest beings I've ever faced. You deserve that much. Any last wishes?"  
  
"Just this," Paige said, and threw a lightning bolt. Rahab gestured, and sent the lightning bolt back at Paige. It hit her, and she flew back and hit the wall. She then slumped over, unconscious. Rahab vanished, and appeared behind Piper. Quick as lightning, he yanked her hands behind her and touched them with his right hand. A strange glow encompassed them, and when it ended, Piper's hands were encased in amber behind her back. He then delivered a kick to her back that sent her sprawling.  
  
Phoebe ran forward and began to levitate, but Rahab gestured. Phoebe suddenly felt like she weighed two tons. Her levitation faltered, and she fell to the ground. Rahab turned and pointed at Michael as he began to chant. Amber appeared over his mouth, stopping his chanting.  
  
Cole began to walk towards Rahab. Rahab turned and fired an energy ball at Cole. As Cole prepared to deflect it, the energy ball split in half and went around him. It reformed behind him and then hit him in the back. Cole fell forward and slid across the floor.  
  
As Piper struggled to stand up with her hands behind her back, Leo walked towards her. Rahab turned and fired an energy ball at him. Piper shouted "ORB NOW!" and Leo did. However, halfway through the orb Rahab threw a glass ball. It expanded, wrapped around Leo's orbs, and then came back to normal. Leo was trapped.  
  
Piper finally got to her feet, and said, "Is that the best you've got?" Rahab smiled, and said, "I know that I can't kill you. You have the ability to self-heal from anything. So, I have something much more.fitting in mind." Rahab gestured and said three words under his breath. A portal opened behind Piper, and she felt herself being drawn in. Looking around for something to grab, she saw Phoebe struggling to get up off the ground. "Phoebe, help me!"  
  
"Phoebe can't help you," Rahab said, "She weighs over 600 lbs now. She can barely move." Suddenly, Phoebe jumped up and started to run towards Piper. "What the." Rahab said, and he looked and saw her eyes were glowing. Just as Piper was falling into the portal, Phoebe dove and grabbed both her and the floor. Rahab quickly walked over and said, "I don't know how you did that, but you die now!"  
  
Gabriel looked up, and shot two beams of white light out of his eyes at Rahab. At the same time, Rahab fired an energy ball at Phoebe. The beams hit Rahab and knocked him back, and the energy ball hit Phoebe's hand, causing Gabriel to lose his grip. Both Phoebe and Piper fell into the portal, and it closed.  
  
Rahab tried to get up, but he discovered those blasts had taken a lot out of him. As he looked around, he saw everyone was starting to get up. Oh, well. I can come back later. I got rid of two of them, and I'll finish the job when I recover. That thought done, Rahab faded out.  
  
As Paige got up, she looked around, and said, "Oh, no.They're gone. What do we do now?"  
  
Michael finally got the amber off his mouth, and he said, "We get them back."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED. 


	2. Part 2

The Dark Hand Part 2  
  
(This is a continuation of the alternate universe I created in Degrees of Evil and that is featured in Information Exchange and Triangle of Hades. I do not own any part of Charmed, I just write about it. And as always, please comment and tell me what you think.)  
  
As the nine entered the room, they found Rahab resting, apparently at ease. As they approached him cautiously, he said, "Don't even think about it. You'd be dead before you could even try."  
  
All nine straightened, and the lead figure asked, "Did you get rid of them?"  
  
Rahab got up, and hid the weariness he felt. He looked at them, and said, "Don't worry. My plan is going perfectly. There was a minor complication, but I dealt with it. I'll go back soon to deal with the others."  
  
"Others? You mean you didn't get them all? You have fail." one of the demons began, but before he could finish, Rahab destroyed him with an energy ball. He looked back at the others, and he said, "I will finish them, when I am ready. There is no hurry. There is no escape from where I sent the other two. Now, leave me. I wish to consider how I want to best end this."  
  
The other eight quickly backed out of the room, leaving Rahab alone. He slumped down, and sighed. That was too close. The truth was, Rahab was a little afraid to go back. Not afraid of the witches: far from it. Rather, Rahab was afraid he was losing his edge. Rahab had never been this worn out from a battle. He always considered every possibility, and planned for it. So how had he missed Phoebe's other power? Rahab had watched them for close to a week, monitoring their every nuance of behavior. He instigated the battle with the warlocks to find out about their powers. Could she have hidden it from him Rahab wondered. He then shook his head. It didn't matter. The witch was gone forever, and soon the third sister would be joining them. Rahab smiled, and dozed off.  
  
***  
  
Powers of the Witches Rise Course Unseen across the Skies Come to us, we call you near. Come to us and settle here.  
  
When Paige finished chanting, she looked around expectedly. But there was nothing. She sighed, and remarked, "That's the 9th callback spell, and the last one in the book I can think of." She sat down. "I don't know what else to do."  
  
Michael sat down near her, and said, "There has to be something."  
  
Paige looked up at him, and fought to keep the tears back, "I've tried everything, but I don't even know WHERE they were sent to, much less how to get them back. I've tried to call to a lost witch, I've tried to call across our blood, I've tried to summon Life, and I've even tried to summon the Guardians to help find them. I'm not giving up, but I'm open to suggestions."  
  
Cole stopped pacing and asked, "Are you sure you can't sense them Leo?"  
  
Leo looked at Cole in annoyance and said, "As sure as I was the last four times you asked me."  
  
"I'm sorry," Cole said. He took two steps and then slammed his fist onto the table. "Damn it! If I were still a demon, I could at least try and shimmer after them. I feel useless."  
  
Michael walked over and put his hand on Cole's shoulder. "We'll get them back. I've already called my assistant, and she's scouring the Library for any spell or incantation that could help us. Leo has asked all whitelighters to chip in. We have to trust that we're meant to find them."  
  
Cole looked back at Michael and said softly, "I'm good at a lot of things, trusting blindly isn't one of them."  
  
"What I can't understand is why Gabriel hasn't brought them back," Leo said. "All the Guardians can teleport, and unborn or not, Gabriel is the Guardian of Life. He should easily be able to go wherever he needs to go, unless he's."  
  
"Don't say it," Cole interrupted, "Don't even think it. My son is alive: all of them are. We just have to figure out how to find them."  
  
"The problem is we have no link to find them," Paige said. "I've tried my link by blood to Piper and Phoebe, but the fact that I am only a half-sister affects the range of the spell."  
  
"Wait, what about me?" Cole suddenly asked. Paige looked at him for a second as if he were crazy, and then she replied, "You're not even related by blood to either Phoebe or Piper, so what makes you think you can find them if I can't?"  
  
"I wasn't talking about either Phoebe or Piper, I was talking about Gabriel," Cole continued excitedly. "I am his father, which means at least half of his genetic material is from me. In addition, he and I have shared minds on numerous occasions. That has to create some kind of link we can follow, shouldn't it?"  
  
"I don't know. In theory, it could work," Michael added, "but at best all Gabriel would feel was a general location of where you are. We don't have the power to bring him here, and unless he is still able to teleport, I don't think it would help. And if we did do that, it would be quite loud, magically speaking. It could bring back Rahab, and we can't face him without the power of three."  
  
"We don't have a choice. What do I have to do?" Cole asked.  
  
Michael thought about it, and then said, "You'll have to write a whole new spell, one that you think could reach him. And you'd have to mentally reach for him, and try to find him. Unfortunately, since you've never done that, you'd have no idea how to move around, or follow your instincts. You could easily wind up lost, cast adrift forever."  
  
Leo suddenly stepped forward, and said, "I can help him. We whitelighters are trained how to travel the world outside the body. If I guide him, I know I can lead him back to his body."  
  
"Yes, but even so, doing such a move would leave both of you incredibly vulnerable to attack, so we'll have to protect you somehow, although I'm not sure what we can do."  
  
"Wait, I know," Paige interrupted. She walked over and pulled out the crystals the sister's used to contain the Source. "If I invert this, it should keep out any and all magical attacks, right?"  
  
"Yes, yes it would," Michael said excitedly, "But we have to rig it with a special spell so that it didn't block out Cole's call. Cole, you get to work on that spell. Paige, you and I have some shields to invert. Leo, you will have to remain in the shield with Cole. Do whatever meditation you need to, but get ready."  
  
Everyone nodded, and got to work,  
  
***  
  
Rahab awoke with a start, feeling back to full strength. He glanced around, and realized he had slept for close to 4 hours. That meant the remaining witch had had close to 6 hours since his last attack to plan for round two. Oh, well. It made no difference. Rahab was back at full power, and that witch couldn't touch him. Rahab smiled, and shimmered out.  
  
***  
  
"Are we ready?" Paige asked. When everyone nodded, she said, "Then let's do it." Cole and Leo nodded, and sat down back to back. Paige moved the last crystal into place, and a shield came up around them. She looked at them, and said, "Good luck." Leo turned to Cole and remarked, "Let's do it." Cole began to concentrate, and he also began to chant.  
  
Magic forces, ancient and strong. Help me to undo this wrong. As a Father, I beseech thee. Find and return my Son to me. Let no barrier hold you back. For great power you do not lack. Reunite Father and Son So on this day good has won.  
  
Cole and Leo's heads slumped forward, and their breathing slowed. Paige turned to Michael, and said, "How long till Rahab notices?"  
  
"Not long at all," a new voice said, and they both turned to see Rahab appear.  
  
***  
  
At first, Cole was barely able to keep himself aware that he had a body. When Leo appeared, Cole almost shouted in relief. This out of body experience is difficult. Leo jerked his head, and said, "You go. I'll anchor you to your body." Cole nodded, and then he let his instincts guide him. He felt himself going farther and farther away, as all his thoughts focused on Gabriel. Time was meaningless, but it seemed like hours later when he heard Leo say in his mind, "Careful, I can't anchor you if you go out much farther."  
  
Cole strained, trying to find something, anything. Suddenly, he felt it, just barely, and at the edge of his awareness. SON! He shouted across the lines, and he thought he felt a response. He felt Leo pulling him back, and he tried to stay.  
  
"You have to come back or I'll lose you," Leo said, and Cole could feel the weariness in his voice. As Cole let Leo reel him in, he sent out the thought. Follow me back son. Please, follow me back.  
  
***  
  
"I must admit, this is very impressive. I didn't think you would consider this a possibility." Rahab said wryly. "Not that it matters. You two will be dead long before they get back."  
  
"That's what you think," Michael said, and began to chant. Rahab brought his hand up, but this time Michael was ready. He threw a small white ball at Rahab, and Rahab instantly blocked it with his arm. When his arm came into contact with the ball, however, it erupted with light. Rahab fell back, and said, "A flash grenade? Very creative.but not that creative." Rahab's other hand came up and Michael was knocked back.  
  
Paige gestured, and shot a lightning ball at Rahab. As Rahab prepared to deflect it again, she shouted, "Lightning BOLT!" and redirected it above his shield. It slammed into him, and threw him back. When Rahab got back up, anger was on his face. "That's enough!" Rahab shouted, and then he threw both hands out at Paige. Two energy balls slammed into Paige, flipping her and knocking the wind out of her. As she struggled to get back up, she heard Rahab say, "So, any last requests?"  
  
Paige looked around, but Michael was out cold. She did however see Cole and Leo's heads come back up. They were weary, and Paige couldn't tell if they had succeeded. Inspiration struck as she said, "Yeah. Send me where you sent me sisters. I'd rather die with them than die alone."  
  
Rahab smiled, and said, "I normally wouldn't, but your ability to adapt has impressed me. Very well." He said three words under his breath, and gestured. A portal opened behind Paige, and she began to be sucked in. Rahab smiled, and said, "And now it ends."  
  
Without warning, the portal began to glow. Rahab smile vanished, and a look of shock came over him as he said, "NO!" Phoebe and Piper stepped out of the portal, and it closed. Paige took one look at them, and realized something was very wrong. First of all, they looked VERY different. When they went in, they didn't even appear pregnant. Now, both of them looked like they could give birth any day. Also, their hair and nails were longer, and their clothes were in tatters. But that wasn't what made Paige worry. When she looked at Piper, she saw a blank look, as if nothing was registering. That in itself was a problem, but when Paige saw Phoebe's face, she barely stifled a scream. Phoebe's eyes were glowing, and she had a look of absolute fury on her face.  
  
Gabriel let out a bestial roar, and launched himself at Rahab. Before Rahab could even act, Gabriel landed a punch to his gut, and followed it up with an elbow to his nose. Rahab fell to the ground, and Gabriel jumped on him. He pinned Rahab's arms beneath his legs, and began to beat on Rahab with wild abandon. Leo slowly got to his feet, and walked over to Piper. When he touched her, she showed no recognition. Michael had woken up, and he got to his feet. He and Leo approached Gabriel and said, "Gabriel, stop." Gabriel looked up at them, and he roared again. He gestured, and Michael and Leo felt magical power hit them and pin them to the wall. They couldn't move, and they were slowly being crushed. Cole got up, and said, "Gabriel, stop!"  
  
Gabriel looked over at Cole, and recognition slowly came over his face. "Fa.Father." He looked down at Rahab, barely conscious and looking like he'd been thrown into a meat grinder and a look of horror crossed his face. He backed up, and said, "No." Rahab took advantage of this to shimmer out. Cole slowly approached his son, and said, "Gabriel, are you alright?" Gabriel looked at Cole for a moment, and then he was gone. The light didn't fade from Phoebe's eyes: it was just gone. Phoebe stumbled back, and Piper also stumbled back. She looked around, and asked "What the Hell happened?"  
  
Leo looked at her, and said, "What do you mean, don't you remember?"  
  
"The last thing I remember is falling into that portal of Rahab's. Next thing I know, I'm here.why is my belly so BIG!" Piper exclaimed.  
  
Paige and Michael looked at Phoebe and asked, "What about you?" Phoebe nodded absently, her hand on her belly. Michael looked at Paige, and said, "I guess maybe some sort of thing about the portal, is that you couldn't remember?"  
  
"How much time has passed since we left?" Piper asked. Paige looked at her watch and said, "Just over 6 hours."  
  
"That's impossible. What they hell happened to us? Did you vanquish Rahab?"  
  
Paige shook her head, and said, "He's definitely, going to be a problem."  
  
"But not our biggest," Phoebe said.  
  
"What do you mean?" Michael asked.  
  
Phoebe looked around, and then said, "Before he left me just now, I touched Gabriel's mind. Not much of it, but just a portion, and."  
  
"And what? What's wrong?" Leo asked.  
  
Phoebe walked over and went into Cole's embrace before she said quietly.  
  
"And what I felt wasn't sane."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED. 


	3. Part 3

The Dark Hand Part 3  
  
(This is a continuation of the alternate universe I created in Degrees of Evil and that is featured in Information Exchange and Triangle of Hades. I do not own any part of Charmed, I just write about it. And as always, please comment and tell me what you think.)  
  
"What?" Piper exclaimed.  
  
Phoebe looked at her, and then looked up at Cole, and said, "I don't think my son is sane anymore."  
  
"We have to fix this," Paige said. "Maybe we can talk to him and figure out what the problem is, or help him in some way."  
  
Piper was already thumbing through the Book. "Way ahead of you." She came to rest on the Commune with a Fetus Spell. "We'll cast this again, and talk to him, and see if we can help him."  
  
"But we can't do it now," Paige said, "That spell leaves us helpless, and with Rahab out there, we can't take that chance. He could come back and finish us off while we are talking with Gabriel."  
  
"Don't worry," a new voice said. They all turned as Mortanos appeared. "Mortanos!" Michael exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"  
  
Mortanos walked forward sadly and said, "I could feel that my brother was in trouble, and I came to help. I will protect you while you enter his mind, but I have a suggestion. Take Cole and Leo with you. You're all his family, and you don't know what will bring him back."  
  
"But, how do we do that?" Piper asked.  
  
"Just have them read the spell with you, and it will link them to you, so you can all travel together," Mortanos explained.  
  
"That makes some sense, but I'm curious. You told us Guardians do not meddle in mortal affairs. So, why are you here again?" Paige asked.  
  
"I have my reasons, and this isn't exactly a mortal affair. We're talking about a Guardian." Mortanos replied.  
  
"It doesn't matter," Phoebe interrupted. "Thank you, Mortanos." She then turned to her sisters and said, "Let's do it." The sisters nodded, and then moved towards the Book, as did Cole and Leo. They all began to chant.  
  
Magic forces Black and White Cross the barriers of life and light Bring the mind of Phoebe's child near So we listen and he may hear  
  
***  
  
When they all could see again, the sisters, Cole and Leo found themselves in the same misty place as before. However, Paige took one look at Piper and Phoebe and said, "What the!" When everyone looked, they found that Piper and Phoebe looked like normal, as if they weren't pregnant.  
  
"What happened? Why do we look like we used to?" Piper asked.  
  
"This is merely the form you subconsciously chose to look like," a female voice added. The sisters turned as a small little girl walked out of the mist. She looked at Piper, and smiled, "Apparently, you liked it better when I wasn't showing, mother."  
  
Piper walked forward, and said, "Then.you're a girl?"  
  
The little girl smiled, and said, "Yes. I would have kept it a secret longer, but right now I don't know if Gabriel would recognize me in my other form." Piper walked forward and pulled her into a hug.  
  
"I knew you were a girl. Hey, do you like the name Melinda?"  
  
Piper's daughter smile widened, and she replied, "Melinda's perfect." "I hate to interrupt this, but can we get to the matter at hand?" Cole said suddenly.  
  
The smile disappeared from Melinda's face as she said, "You're absolutely right. However, there has been a complication."  
  
"What? What's the matter?" Phoebe asked worriedly.  
  
"This spell only works if the child chooses to come forward. Gabriel has chosen to ignore the call, which means he won't be coming."  
  
"Then the spell is useless now," Paige said sadly.  
  
"I didn't say that. In fact, it may be able to help us more than I had thought. Especially with Cole here."  
  
"Wait, why would I make a difference?" Cole asked curiously.  
  
Melinda looked at him for a moment, and then said, "Because of your ability to mindscape. I think I can augment your powers enough to bring all of us into Gabriel's mind. However, I'm not sure what kind of a welcome we'll receive. It could be dangerous."  
  
"We'll take that risk," Cole said confidently.  
  
"I had a feeling you would," Melinda replied. "Before we go, I want us to try and figure out a little bit of what happened."  
  
"How are we going to do that?" Leo asked.  
  
"I'm going to show you what I remember," Melinda explained. "As soon as we got back, I began to look through my memories, trying to find out what happened. I can see through my mom's eyes, so I saw what she did." Melinda turned and closed her eyes. Suddenly, the entire place changed, and they all found themselves looking through Piper's eyes. They saw Gabriel grab her, and they saw him get hit. They then saw them both fall through the portal. The entire group got one glimpse of whatever was on the other side of the portal, and suddenly the vision was gone, and they felt Gabriel's presence. They could feel him wrapping something around Melinda, something that blocked out all emotion. Melinda tried to fight back, but Gabriel soothed away her worry and her anger. Trust me Gabriel said, and Melinda did. As the shield was being finished, Gabriel whispered Sleep, and the memories ended.  
  
The entire group turned to Melinda, and asked, "What happened next?"  
  
"I don't know," Melinda said quietly. "My next memory is of being back at the manor. It's like nothing had happened, and its not that my memories have been blocked, either by Gabriel or by trauma. Quite simply, I have NO memories of anything else happening."  
  
"That is probably for the best," Cole said quietly. The entire group turned to see him slightly pale, and almost shaking with sorrow and fear.  
  
"Cole, do you know what that place is?" Phoebe asked.  
  
Cole took a deep breath, and said, "It's the dimension known as Pygoth."  
  
"WHAT! That was Pygoth," Leo exclaimed. He went as pale as Cole, and said in a voice that sounded close to sickness, "My God."  
  
"What? What is so bad about this Pygoth?" Paige asked.  
  
"Pygoth means torment in the demonic language, and that is what it is," Cole explained. "Every second there is absolute torture. It hurts to breathe, to think, to even exist. The only creatures there immune to that are the Overseers, who delight in the torturing of all the victims. They are masters of mental torture, hallucinations so real and disturbing that demons have literally died upon seeing them."  
  
"Well, at least we were only there for about 6 hours," Phoebe said, trying to find something good about the situation.  
  
"Actually, Pygoth time is accelerated." Leo said, "Every hour in our realm is like a month there. So, actually, you and Piper spent over 6 months there. That explains why your bodies have aged."  
  
"But why don't we have any scars or memories? Piper asked.  
  
"Because the Overseers there don't inflict physical harm," Cole remarked. "If anything, you're probably better fed than you ever were. They keep their victims alive and well kept, and instead torture them within their own minds and psyches. As to why you have no memories, I don't know, but I think our son does, and it may the reason for his insanity." Cole then turned to Melinda and said, "Let's get in there now, before Gabriel degrades any more."  
  
Melinda nodded, and put her arms on Cole. She then said, "Everyone touch Cole somewhere." They complied, and then Melinda said, "Cole, just do whatever you normally do to mindscape. I'll take it from there."  
  
Cole closed his eyes, and he began to phase. Soon, all of them were phasing, and then they faded out.  
  
***  
  
"Now that we're alone, do you want to tell me what you're really doing here?" Michael said as soon as the group collapsed.  
  
Mortanos sighed, and sat back in a chair. He waved his hand, and a black shield appeared around the bodies. "That should keep out Rahab."  
  
"You didn't answer my question," Michael said. "I know this isn't a situation Guardians would get involved in, even if it does involve a future member. So, why are you here? It's because of the link, isn't it?"  
  
Mortanos started, and laughed. He then said, "I obviously don't give the Library enough credit, and you for that matter. That is a very obscure piece of knowledge that is not supposed to be known by anyone except Guardians."  
  
"Then it's true?" Michael asked.  
  
Mortanos said nothing, and then said. "You tell me. What is the link?"  
  
"Well, the way I understand it, all Guardians are symbiotically bound," Michael remarked. "They feel each other's emotions, and also their state of being. This has uncountable advantages in doing whatever it is you do."  
  
"Except in this situation," Mortanos said gravely. "In this situation, which has never happened before, we are very vulnerable. If one of us goes insane, his or her insanity will spread until all Guardians are insane, which would result in absolute disaster for the universe."  
  
"Why are you still sane?" Michael asked.  
  
Mortanos sighed, and said, "I may as well tell you. For two reasons. First of all, Gabriel hasn't officially begun his post, so he the link isn't as strong. But the main reason is because he hasn't been born yet. Phoebe's womb provides a natural barrier that keeps the insanity in. Even so, we can feel it on the edges of our minds, trying to get in. If he is born."  
  
"That's why you're really here," Michael said as he jumped to his feet. "You're going to kill us."  
  
"Sit down," Mortanos said irritably, and Michael did so. "Actually, we hope that the Charmed Ones can help him. But if they can't, or if Phoebe goes into labor before they are finished, then." Mortanos slowly walked over and looked down at Phoebe. "I will do what I have to do, to save the universe."  
  
***  
  
"Where are we? This doesn't look right." Cole asked when they could see again.  
  
"I'm afraid we're in the right place," Melinda said. "This is Gabriel's mind."  
  
"No, I've been here before; it is a vast place full of life and joy. This place," Cole said as he gestured, "Is nothing but decay and rot." Indeed, everything around them was falling apart, and it almost seemed as if decay had set in and was slowly eroding the landscape.  
  
"This must be how our minds perceive Gabriel's insanity," Leo offered. He then pointed, and said, "What is that?" They all looked to where Leo was pointed. In the distance, the group could see a vast castle of some sort, jutting out of the landscape unnaturally.  
  
"That is where Gabriel is hiding," Melinda said. "he must have felt out intrusions, and is trying to protect himself. Come on," Melinda immediately began to walk towards the castle, and everyone followed behind her.  
  
"What is with all the glass?" Paige asked. Everywhere around them were shards of glass, and in took effort not to step on them.  
  
Melinda looked down for a moment, and then said gravely, "Parts of Gabriel's mind. I think whatever happened shattered his mind, spirit, and consciousness. These are the pieces that were lost, or didn't reform." They all looked down, and leaped back, afraid to break any more. Melinda turned back, and gestured. The entire group was suddenly floating about 9 inches off the ground. "That should fix it. You can walk normally now, and you won't break anything."  
  
Everyone nodded, and continued cautiously. Within a few minutes, they found themselves at the castle. It stretched up as high as the eye could see, and was surrounded by thick walls with spikes and a moat.  
  
"Not the most inviting place I've ever seen," Piper remarked.  
  
"We have reached the core of Gabriel's mind. He will be inside."  
  
The entire group started forward, when they heard a new voice. "STOP! COME NO FARTHER!" The all looked towards the entrance, and saw in shock Cole walking out of the castle. He stopped halfway across the bridge and formed an energy ball. "You will go no farther."  
  
The sisters looked at Cole on the bridge, and then back to the Cole with them. "What the Hell? How are there TWO Coles?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"That one is not the real Cole," Melinda said as she pointed to the one of the bridge, "It is a part of Gabriel's defenses. You should actually feel honored," she continued as she looked back at Cole, "In our minds, we chose defenses that resemble things that we feel absolutely safe around. If you are here, that means Gabriel feels safest with you, and feels you are his best protection."  
  
Cole smiled, and then said, "Well, we can ask him that when we get in. My question is how do we get in?"  
  
"How much like the real Cole is this?" Phoebe asked suddenly.  
  
Melinda frowned, and said, "I'm not actually sure.it entirely depends on Gabriel. If I had to guess, I'd say pretty much like the real thing."  
  
"That's what I thought," Phoebe said, and then she walked forward confidently.  
  
"Phoebe, what are you doing?" Paige shouted.  
  
"Cole could never hurt me, no matter how evil he became. If this is anything like the real one, I have nothing to fear."  
  
"And if he isn't like me, you'll be dead." Cole shouted back. Phoebe approached the Cole on the bridge, and everyone held their breaths. The Cole hesitated, and hand dropped a little. "Phoebe?"  
  
"It's me Cole. You know me, and you know I'm not here to hurt him. Please, let me in to help him. Gabriel isn't well, and he needs our help. Please let us pass." Phoebe begged.  
  
Cole wavered, visibly torn, "You could just be an illusion, another vision sent to torment and kill him. I.I"  
  
Phoebe reached up and touched his cheek, "Cole, please! Look at me; I don't want anyone to hurt him. I would sooner die than let him be hurt. Please, help us. Let us through."  
  
The Cole on the bridge looked into Phoebe's eyes for a few moments, and then nodded once. The energy ball dissipated, and he stepped aside. As the group passed him, the bridge Cole whispered, "Help him, please." And then he faded.  
  
The group entered the castle, and suddenly they found themselves in a single room. It was huge, and the walls were adorned with various images depicting scenes in Gabriel's life. In the center of the room sat Gabriel in his little boy form. He was sitting with his arms around his knees, and slowly rocking back and forth. The group could hear him murmuring something, and they strained to hear.  
  
"Can't sleep.can't trust.must be ready.must defend.so cold.so tired.but can't rest.that's when they come..can't sleep."  
  
"Gabriel?" Phoebe said softly, and Gabriel turned to look at them. Phoebe felt tears spring to her eyes as she looked at him. Gabriel had changed. He no longer had any joy in his face, and his eyes held a haunted expression, as if he had seen such horrors that they had branded themselves forever on his vision. Gabriel looked at them for a moment, and then he sprang to his feet. "GET AWAY! I WILL NEVER YIELD!" Gabriel shouted, and he pointed.  
  
"DOWN!" Melinda shouted as she threw up her hands. Everyone ducked, and a second later white energy lanced out of Gabriel's hands towards them. About ten feet from the group, the energy hit a blue shield conjured by Melinda. The shield flexed a little, but it held, and soon the energy faded.  
  
Gabriel backed up, and murmured, "You're getting trickier, but I won't falter. I will stop you, yes." He then began to make rapid movements with his hands, and the group felt the power being gathered.  
  
"I can't stop an attack like that. Talk to him before he kills us," Melinda said.  
  
"Gabriel, stop! It's your father. Please, talk to me!" Cole shouted. Gabriel blinked, and said, "No can't be. You're not here, you're dead, and I'm alone.so alone." Tears began to flow down Gabriel cheeks, and he faltered. He fell to his knees, hugged himself, and began to rock again. The group approached, and they could hear Gabriel saying, "Go away.please go away.no more, just leave me alone.so alone."  
  
Melinda was the first to reach him, and she bent down and touched his face. "Cousin, it's me, Melinda." Gabriel looked up, and said, "I wish it were, but you're dead. I failed you, I lost.can't fail.won't fail.must protect.can't protect." Gabriel jerked his head out of her grasp, and got to his feet. He began to back away. "Who are you? What do you want? Where did you get that information? TELL ME!" Gabriel was ranting now, and Melinda felt wetness on her own face.  
  
"Son, it's us. Please, let us help you." Phoebe said.  
  
"Can't be.I know what you're doing, demons. I won't share my secrets, I won't tell.have to protect.can't protect.so tired.so cold.but must protect."  
  
"Protect who? Talk to us Gabriel, show us. PLEASE!" Leo said desperately.  
  
Gabriel turned and looked at Leo, and then he leaped over and grabbed him in a flying tackle. "You're not dead.can't be dead.please, save me from the demons, Uncle Leo.heal me.please."  
  
Leo looked at the others, begging for advice with his eyes. Melinda looked at him for a moment, and then Leo nodded, as if he were receiving instructions. He bent down and looked Gabriel in the eye, and said, "I want to heal you, and I will. But I need to understand what happened. I need you to show me what happened in Pygoth. Then I can heal you."  
  
Gabriel looked at Leo, and then said, "Sure, I can tell you.but you will heal me.have to heal.have to protect." Gabriel turned and gestured. One of the walls faded, and soon the group could see images beginning to appear. They saw Phoebe fall into the portal, and then they saw the landscape around them.  
  
Gabriel whirled and shouted, "GET OUT DEMONS!"  
  
"They're not demons, and they're not real." Leo said soothingly, "They are just figments of your imagination. It's only you and I, ignore them." Gabriel nodded, and then he turned back to the screen.  
  
"You would be so proud of me Uncle Leo," Gabriel said, "I knew where we were, and I took steps. I protected the family, I protected them.tried to.failed.oh god." Gabriel fell to his knees, and the images began to falter. The entire group closed in on Gabriel, and Leo touched his face.  
  
"How did you protect the family, what did you do?"  
  
Gabriel looked back up, and said, "I.I turned them off, made them sleep. I shielded them, put their minds where the monsters couldn't reach.I tried to do that.I tried.I failed.tried so hard.still trying.but failed."  
  
Melinda touched Gabriel's face, and said, "You didn't fail. You saved us, you protected us." Gabriel looked at her, and then shouted, "YOU LIE DEMON!" He swung at her, but Cole grabbed his arm. Gabriel looked up, and said, "Father, good, you're here. Need to sleep.must sleep.so tired.please protect me.can you protect me." Gabriel was practically begging when he said the last part, and Cole nodded. Gabriel smiled, and jumped up into Cole's embrace.  
  
Cole began to whisper instinctually, "Don't worry, son. I'm here, I'll protect you. Go ahead and sleep. I'll keep you safe." Within seconds, Gabriel was unconscious.  
  
"Can someone really sleep in their own mind," Paige asked quietly.  
  
"He is physically and mentally sleeping," Melinda said, "It happens when someone is on the very edge of exhaustion for a long time. After awhile, the mind simply can't keep up. He'll be out for a little while, which will give us time to talk and to plan."  
  
"What is going on?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"The way I understand it, Gabriel must have realized either where we landed, or what was going on," Melinda explained. "I think Gabriel used his power to shield the three of us, to put our minds in some sort of stasis. It would explain why we don't have any memories of the time we spent in Pygoth."  
  
"But why didn't Gabriel protect himself?" Paige asked.  
  
"I don't know, and I plan to ask him." Melinda replied.  
  
"Well, what is wrong with him? He seems to waver from one decision to another," Piper asked. "He wasn't even sure if he was protecting us."  
  
"He probably isn't sure what's real anymore," Cole said quietly as he rocked Gabriel slowly. "Remember, the Overseers are masters of mental hallucinations. They probably have him convinced that he did protect us, he failed, we all died, and that he is still in Pygoth, all at once."  
  
Gabriel suddenly awoke with a scream. He was shaking uncontrollably, and was sobbing. Cole rocked him back and forth, and said, "It's alright, I'm here."  
  
"I thought you said he'd be out for a while," Paige whispered to Melinda.  
  
"He should have been. My guess is he has nightmares brought on by whatever happened in Pygoth." Melinda replied.  
  
When Gabriel stopped shaking, he looked a little more sane and alert. He glanced up at Cole with sorrow in his eyes, "I'm sorry father. I wish I could have protected you better. I tried to keep the location secret, but they got it.I failed.no, I WON'T TELL!" Gabriel shot to his feet, and backed away from everyone. He looked back at Leo and visibly relaxed, "Sorry, Uncle Leo, forgot to ignore the figments."  
  
"It's alright, Gabriel. Tell me, why didn't you put yourself to sleep?" Leo replied.  
  
"Couldn't. If I went to sleep, my shields would go down on the others. Had to stay unshielded to protect.to try and protect.failed." Gabriel was shaking his head, and looked very confused. Melinda suddenly walked forward and grabbed Gabriel's head. Her hands began to glow, and Gabriel started. A few seconds later, he yanked his head away and shouted, "YOU WON'T GET MY SECRET!" He turned and gestured, and Melinda went flying. She fell into Piper, and Gabriel began to approach them. "Gabriel, calm down. Relax." Leo said.  
  
Gabriel looked back at Leo and seemed a bit more in control than before. "I apologize, Uncle Leo. Got carried away."  
  
"What secret do you have?" Leo asked.  
  
"The location of our realm. The Overseers want out.got out.oh GOD, I failed everyone." Gabriel fell to his knees.  
  
"What did you touch him for?" Phoebe demanded.  
  
"I was trying to read his thoughts and understand how to help him. More of what he says is making sense. Mom, freeze him. I've boosted your powers enough." Piper gestured, and Gabriel froze.  
  
"What's going on?" Cole asked, trying to keep his voice steady. Everyone was rather strained by the current situation, and tears were in everyone's eyes.  
  
Melinda looked over to Cole, and said, "I understand what Gabriel is talking about. I was able to glean more of his memories. After the Overseers understood what he had done, they wanted to kill him. But Gabriel told them if he died, all four died. They could have one victim, or four bodies. The Overseers didn't call his bluff, but they did understand that he knew the location of the original realm. You were wrong Cole. The Overseers are not immune to the pain of Pygoth."  
  
"But that would mean." Cole began.  
  
"Exactly. Every Overseer there is in pain every second, and was originally a victim. It isn't the Overseers that are the problem, it is the realm. The realm warped their minds so much that they think they were always Overseers."  
  
"Why do they want the location of our realm so much?" Paige asked,  
  
"To escape, or to torment more victims. I'm not sure. However, it seems the realm of Pygoth can only be entered from this realm, and the only way to leave is to first come here. They cannot shimmer out unless they know the location of this realm, and that is how they are trapped."  
  
"But tons of demons have gone there before, why not ask them?" Cole asked. "Because the demons have been affected by the portal, and the knowledge was always ripped from them. In fact, even the portal used by Rahab was designed to remove the knowledge. However, Gabriel is a Guardian, and his mind is protected from such tampering. He kept all his knowledge, and so the Overseers had a way out. All they had to do was get him to tell them." Melinda remarked.  
  
"But Gabriel wouldn't tell them." Phoebe said.  
  
"Exactly. They put all their mental powers to work. They convinced him that he had, and that everyone on this world was dead. They sent him visions of us dying, or of us attacking him and calling him traitor. They convinced him that he had failed, and they had gotten to the minds of Piper, Phoebe, and me. All of it was to make him so remorseful that he told them what they wanted to know, to gain forgiveness. However, something unexpected happened."  
  
"What? And if they convinced him he failed, why did he keep the shield up?" Piper asked.  
  
"Well, all the attacks were too much. The constant torment, the constant pain of everyone around him, the constant hallucinations. His mind couldn't handle it: no one's could. So, it split into several distinct areas. One part thinks he failed, and we're all dead. One part thinks he's still there, and is trying to fight us. However, the last smaller part knows the truth."  
  
"How do we help him?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"I think I can put his mind back together," Melinda said hesitantly, "but I'd need to touch him for at least a minute. In his current state, I don't think he'd trust me enough to do it."  
  
As if on cue, Gabriel unfroze. He looked around, and said, "What happened? How did you freeze me? You must be.no, can't be.not real.just figments.I WILL NEVER TELL!" Gabriel held up his hand, and a ball of white energy appeared.  
  
Phoebe suddenly walked towards him, and said, "Gabriel, I forgive you."  
  
"What?" Gabriel said in shock, the ball of energy vanishing.  
  
"I forgive you. I know you didn't mean to let anything happen. You did the best you could, and I forgive you." She then walked forward and pulled Gabriel into a hug.  
  
Tears formed in Gabriel's eyes, and then Cole walked forward. "Son, I forgive you. You did nothing wrong, and I'm proud of how hard you tried. I hold no ill will against you, and I love you." Cole then joined Phoebe in hugging Gabriel.  
  
One by one, the entire group moved forward and forgave Gabriel, and then hugged him. Gabriel was openly weeping, and he said, "How could you forgive me? I destroyed the world. I let them out, I failed."  
  
"No, you didn't." Melinda said softly. "Let me show you. Will you trust me?"  
  
"No, you're all demons, trying to trick me," Gabriel said.  
  
"Son, we would never hurt you. Do you really think we are demons?" Cole said. Gabriel thought for a moment, and then he shook his head. "Then please, let her touch you. I will be right here, and I will protect you."  
  
Gabriel bowed his head, and then said very quietly, "Alright." Melinda walked forward and put her hands on Gabriel's head. Gabriel began to glow, as did Melinda. The entire castle shook, and as the group watched, the glass shards outside flew up and went into Gabriel. The landscape was being rearranged before their very eyes.  
  
Suddenly, Melinda faltered, and the glow began to fade. Leo walked forward, put his hand on Melinda's shoulder, and said, "Take what you need." The glow intensified again, and soon the entire group was touching Melinda, feeding her power and giving Gabriel their love and support.  
  
Time is meaningless. Seconds, hours, maybe days later, the glow stopped, and Melinda fell into Leo's arms. Gabriel opened his eyes, and everyone felt relief when they saw joy and sanity emanating from them. He walked forward slowly, then fell to his knees and hugged Melinda. "Thank you.Thank you." he said over and over, as tears came down his cheeks.  
  
Eventually, Gabriel got up, and waved his hand. Leo felt power cross the air between Gabriel and Melinda, and within a few seconds, Melinda was back to normal. As she got to her feet, Gabriel looked around, and they could see guilt in his eyes. "I'm sorry, everyone. I didn't mean.I didn't."  
  
Cole walked over and put his hand on Gabriel's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. We love you. I cannot even begin to imagine what you went through, but I wanted you to know I'm proud of you. I don't think even I could have held out as long as you did. You did what you had to, and we all love you."  
  
Everyone hugged Gabriel, and Gabriel said, "Thank you."  
  
"Ummm.not to interrupt, but does anyone know how to get out of here?" Paige asked.  
  
Gabriel smiled, and said, "I do."  
  
***  
  
With a gasp, the group came back to itself. They looked around, and Michael and Mortanos walked forward.  
  
"How long were we out?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"About 2 days," Michael said as he help Paige to her feet. "Did it work?"  
  
"Yes, it did." Mortanos said. "I can feel it."  
  
As the group slowly got to their feet, Piper asked, "How did you." Suddenly, she shuddered, as did Phoebe.  
  
"What's wrong?" Leo asked worriedly.  
  
Piper and Phoebe looked up, and at the same time said.  
  
"My Water just broke."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED. 


	4. Part 4

The Dark Hand Part 4  
  
(This is a continuation of the alternate universe I created in Degrees of Evil and that is featured in Information Exchange and Triangle of Hades. I do not own any part of Charmed, I just write about it. And as always, please comment and tell me what you think.)  
  
"What, now? That's impossible," Leo stammered.  
  
"Apparently not, because it's happening!" Piper shouted.  
  
"Come on Cole, get me to a hospital, right now." Phoebe said as she felt the first contraction. "I don't know what I'm doing. I haven't even started Lamaz.oh" Phoebe shuddered as a contraction hit her, and one of the tables shattered.  
  
"Um, what was that?" Michael asked frantically.  
  
Piper shuddered, and then orbed out and back in.  
  
"I was afraid of this," Leo said. "The children have no control over their powers right now, and so they are spouting at random whenever a contraction hit."  
  
"You couldn't have said something sooner!" Phoebe shouted. As another contraction hit her, she briefly glowed with a white light.  
  
Cole turned to Leo and said, "We have to do something. This is getting worse, not better. And we definitely can't take them to a hospital like this. What are we going to do?"  
  
"Already taken care of," A new voice said. Everyone turned, and four people orbed in. There was a female whitelighter in the center, and she had three passengers. Two of them were robed, and the other was an older, wizened gentleman. The man walked up and thrust his hand out. "Zivis Zoul, at your service," he said, shaking Cole's hand vigorously.  
  
"Um, hi," Cole said. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Mortanos start to bow, and then stop suddenly. Who is this man Cole wondered. He then realized the man was staring at him intently. "What?" he asked.  
  
The man blinked, and said, "I'm sorry, were you speaking to me?"  
  
"But you just," Cole began in confusion, but the man patted his arm. "Don't worry, sonny. I'm sure the voices will stop talking to you if you ask nicely. It worked for me."  
  
Cole turned to Leo in confusion, but Leo was staring at the whitelighter. "Zorana, what are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm here to deliver the babies, of course," Zorana replied. "Honestly, Leo, you really must keep up. These two," she continued as she indicated the robed figures, "will hold the powers of the children until they get out. For precaution only."  
  
"Now wait just a minute," Cole began, but the old man put his hand over Cole's mouth. "Quiet, let the whitelighter speak."  
  
"Listen, I'm a whitelighter, and these two were chosen by the Elders to act as temporary vessels. The bottom line is, you don't have a choice. Now, drink this," Zorana handed a potion to Phoebe and Piper, who each looked at it uncertainly. When they felt no hostility from their children, they downed it. A few seconds later, a strange white and blue aura emerged from them. The two robed figures stepped forward and claimed it, and then stepped back.  
  
Mortanos looked around, and then said, "I really should go. After all, this is not really my forte." He then faded out.  
  
"Now then," Zorana said, "Shall we get started? You men, go boil some water or something. NOW!"  
  
As the men scurried off, Paige asked curiously, "What's the boiled water for?"  
  
"Nothing, but I've learned over my centuries of birthing that men have to feel needed or they'll be underfoot. Now then, I assume you two know how to push?"  
  
***  
  
As the water boiled, Leo turned to Cole and asked, "How do you think it's going?"  
  
"As well as it was five seconds ago," Cole replied irritably.  
  
"I just don't know how you can be so calm about this. Your child is being born right above you." Leo said quietly.  
  
"I'm not calm, and I'm incredibly nervous," Cole admitted, "But I have several old habits from my century of demonhood, and hiding nervousness is one of them. Let's change the subject."  
  
"Alright then," Leo said. "So, when are you going to propose to Phoebe again?"  
  
Cole visibly started, and then he said, "Am I that obvious?"  
  
"Only to those people with eyes," Leo joked. "So, why haven't you already?"  
  
Cole sighed, and said, "There is just so much water under the bridge. If I propose to early, I'll scare her off. I just don't know what to."  
  
"Poppycock," Zivis said. As the two turned to stare at him, he continued, "You younglings are so stupid. Look, do you love her?" Cole nodded. "Does she love you?"  
  
"I think so," Cole said.  
  
"Of course she does. Then get off your ass and propose already. When you're in love, don't wait. It doesn't matter what happened before, just get it over with."  
  
Suddenly, two cries broke the night. Cole and Leo both began to grin foolishly, and then Michael commented, "Well, that was a very quick birth. Oh, well shall we."  
  
As a scream broke the air, Cole and Leo headed for the stairs, "Something is very wrong."  
  
***  
  
"Get away from us," Paige yelled.  
  
Rahab smiled, and said "I don't think so. You are powerless, as are your infants. This is my time to strike."  
  
Rahab had appeared suddenly in a wave of energy. The two robed beings were on the ground, and the whitelighter had been thrown back. Both Phoebe and Piper were too tired to do anything, and so Paige was standing between them and Rahab.  
  
"Get out of my way, and I promise to make your death slightly less painful than the others." When she didn't move, Rahab frowned. "You don't get it, do you? Get out of my way. You can't stop me. No one can now."  
  
"Wrong," one of the robed figures said, and pointed. A beam of white energy shot out and hit Rahab, sending him flying. As Rahab turned to look in disbelief, the figure pulled back the hood.  
  
"M.Mom!" Piper exclaimed.  
  
Patty smiled, and said, "Did you really think I would miss my own grandchild's birth?"  
  
"Then who?" Phoebe asked, and the other figure pulled back her hood.  
  
"Prue."  
  
Prue smiled, and said, "It's been awhile sis, but you're looking good. And for the spawn of a demon, this child looks very beautiful." Prue's smile vanished as she turned to Rahab, who was slowly getting to his feet. She gestured, and he went flying. She turned to Patty, and said, "Shall we?"  
  
Patty nodded, and they began to chant.  
  
Magic powers of the night. Take the creature from out sight. Remove his presence from this world. Into the abyss he must be hurled.  
  
"NO!" Rahab shouted, and then he exploded. A second later, Cole and Leo jumped into the room. They took one look around, and said, "What the?"  
  
"Hello Cole, you're looking well." Prue remarked.  
  
"Hi Prue.um, what are you doing here? And, why are you solid?" Cole asked in confusion.  
  
Prue smiled, and said, "Let's just say Phoebe's not the only being in the world that can see the future. Cole, I just wanted to say, despite my early misgivings, you are right for Phoebe." She then turned and pointed at Gabriel. A bright light left her and entered Gabriel.  
  
Patty walked over to the sisters, and said, "I'm so proud of all of you. And my grandchildren look beautiful."  
  
"I'm a little surprised Grams isn't here," Piper remarked.  
  
"Well, someone had to hold the fort up there." Patty said. She then pointed at Melinda, and a blue light left her and entered Melinda.  
  
"Alright, let's get out of here," Zivis said suddenly. When they all turned to him, he said, "I'm bored, and I'm ready to go. Hey, whitethingie, get up and let's go."  
  
"Fine," Zorana grumbled. "But I don't know why I had to take a grumpy old man like you along."  
  
"Hey, I happen to be a close personal friend of an Elder," the old man proclaimed.  
  
"Right," Zorana said sarcastically. She then turned to Prue and Patty and said, "Say your last goodbyes, it's time to go." Prue and Patty both hugged all the girls, and then walked back over to Zorana. They touched her shoulder, and then all four orbed out. No one said anything for a long time, and then Cole said softly, "Pheobe?" When Phoebe turned, he asked, "Will you marry me?"  
  
Phoebe smiled, and said, "Yes."  
  
*** Zivis stared down at the world below, as if mesmerized. He didn't turn, but said suddenly, "You almost gave me away."  
  
Mortanos walked out, and said, "I'm sorry, but I didn't expect you to be there."  
  
Zivis sighed, and straightened. He began to glow and change. Soon, he was in a form that seemed to be male and female at the same time, and gave off a huge presence.  
  
"It's alright," God said. "I don't think they caught it."  
  
"Actually, I think Cole suspected something. You were smart to play insane," Mortanos said. "So, why were you there?"  
  
"I needed to get a good look at the Guardian of Life, and judge him myself, "God said, "he is worthy, but I just hope he can handle what is in store for him."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Mortanos asked.  
  
God turned back to his view, and said quietly, "I think you know.Adam."  
  
Mortanos puzzled for a few seconds, and then he went pale. "He's coming back, isn't he?"  
  
"You knew it had to be sometime."  
  
"We have to prepare, to fight." Mortanos began.  
  
"We can't," God interrupted. "You know the pact we made. I am unable to get involved. If we are to save humanity, we need to hope in its current members."  
  
"How long do they have?" Mortanos asked.  
  
"A month, maybe two," God said. "Life will probably be able to detect him soon, unless he hides himself well."  
  
"We can't just sit here." Mortanos said.  
  
"I have to, but YOU don't," God said, "Prepare yourself. Just remember, you can't tell anyone else."  
  
"Right, I understand," Mortanos said, and then he faded. God sighed, and looked down at his planet, his Earth. His face took on a look of sadness, as he realized he didn't think for one moment they had a chance.  
  
THE END 


End file.
